Fish lure



May 4, 1937. c. T. PFLUEGER FISH LURE Filed May 26, 1955 INYENTOR CHARLES 7." PFZUEGER ATTORNEYS Patented May 4, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FISH LUBE Application May 26, 1933, Serial No. 673,041

2 Claims.

This invention relates to fish lures, and more especially it relates to fish lures of which the head portion is rotatable relative to the body portion thereof.

The chief objects of the invention are to provide an improved and more durable lure of the character mentioned; to facilitate the removal of weeds that'may become wedged between the head and the body portion of the lure; to preserve the fish line from sudden shocks such as might occur if the line were jerked after the lure had become snagged; and to provide a lureconstruc tion which will facilitate the disengaging of the lure from a snag.

It is also one of the objects of the invention to construct a bait having a yielding connection for the line incorporated within the bait body. Other objects will be manifest.

Of the accompanying drawing.

Figure l is a side elevation of the lure, in its preferred form, in normal condition, parts being in section; I

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing the head and body spaced apart to facilitate the removal of weeds from between them; and

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawing, in is the body portion of the lure and H is the head portion thereof. The body portion I 0 is axially recessed at the front end thereof, and threaded into said recess is a tubular sleeve i2 having a polygonal shaped head l3 at its outer or front end, .said

' head being formed with an axial aperture that is somewhat smaller than the bore It of the sleeve. A wire shaft It: extends through the aperture in the sleeve-head l3, and mounted upon said shaft, interiorly of the sleeve I2, is a compression spring l6 confined between the rear face of the sleevehead l3 and a washer or head 11 mounted upon the rear end of shaft l5.

Extending axially through the head portion I l of the lure is a sleeve or bearing bushing la, the said head portion being journaled upon the front end portion of the shaft l5, which shaft extends through bushing l8. The front end of the shaft I5 is formed with an eye l9 to which is connected the usual swivel 20, the latter providing means for attachment of the lure to a line 2 I. A washer 22 is mounted upon the shaft l5 between the eye l9 and the front end'of head I I. The rear end of bushing l8 projects from the head II and normally abuts sleeve-head l3, thus maintaining the head ll somewhat spaced from the body portion I0.

Secured to the rear face of the head ll by suitable screws is a propeller comprising integral blades 24, 24 that project each side of said head. and are adapted to impart a rotary or spinning motion to the said head, relatively of the body I 0, as the lure is drawn over or through the water. This produces a churn or wake, and sim- 1 ulates the struggling effect produced by a live bird or animal or disabled fish.

The lure is provided with two hooks 26, 21, both of which are mounted upon the rear or body portion thereof, the forward hook 26 being secured to the belly of the lure by a clip or fastener 28 that is so shaped as to prevent the hook from cocking forward sufiiciently to become entangled with the propeller blades. The rear or tail hook- 21 is mounted at the end of the body portion it upon a screw eye 29 that is mounted in a suitable socket or thimble 30. The ring on the hook is sufficiently submerged in said thimble to prevent cocking forward of the tail hook which would entangle it with the belly hook 26.

The head and body portions of the lure are made of light wood so that the lure will float. The arrangement is such that the body l0 and head ll normally are in the relative positions shown in Figure 1 wherein the head is free to spin freely upon shaft IS. The head and body portions of the lure easily may be relatively widely moved apart, against the force of compression spring I 6, as shown in Figure 2, upon occasion such as when it becomes necessary to remove weeds that have become wedged between the head and body.

The arrangement also provides yielding connection of the body Hi to the line 2|, whereby sudden shocks to the lure are not transmitted to the line. Also the construction is such that the bait frequently may be removed from a snag simply by pulling the line taut to compress spring l6, and then releasing suddenly. The compression spring I6 is so arranged that it has determinate limited compressibility so that it limits the distance that the head and body may be separated, and a strong pull does not excessively strain or permanently distort it. The shaft is not scored or threaded and, therefore, will not bend or break as easily as those heretofore provided in rotary-head lures.

The lure is more durable than those of similar character heretofore provided, and achieves the several advantages set out in the foregoing statement of objects.

Modification may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the ap nded claims, which are not limited wholly to the specific construction shown and described, In certain aspects of the invention the form of the body is immaterial, for the 5 shock absorbing feature may be incorporated in or as a part of any bait body. a

What is claimed is: 1."A bait structure comprising a body portion having fishhooks thereon and locally formed at 10 its front end with an axial recess, a tubular sleeve threaded in said recess and formed with an apertureof reduced size at its forward end, a shaft extending through said aperture and into said sleeve, a compression spring mounted upon 15 the shaft within said sleeve adapted normally to urge said shaft rearwardly, a headjournaled on the forward end portion of the shaft, and means for connecting a fish line to the front end of the shaft. I

2. A bait structure comprising a body portion having fishhooks thereon and locally formed at its front end with an axial recess, a tubular sleeve threaded into said recess and formed with .an aperture of reduced size at its forward end,

a shaft extending through said aperture and into said sleeve, a compression spring mounted upon the shaft interiorly of the sleeve adapted yieldingly to urge said shaft rearwardly, a head rotatably mounted on the forward end portion of the shaft, 8. bushing in said head about, the shaft andprojecting rearwardly of the head so as to engage the front end of said sleeve, and means for connecting a fishline to said shaft.

CHARLES T. PFLUEGER. 

